Partial support ($28,666) is requested for our Second International Conference on Protein Phosphatases: it focuses on (a) enzymology, (b) molecular biology, and (c) functional roles of protein phosphatases in transport mechanisms, myocardial and vascular contractility, and cellular growth. The conference will be held at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine as a 3 day satellite program (Feb. 9-11, 1989) of the Biophysical Society which is meeting in Cincinnati the following week. Our conference will include 3 morning and 3 afternoon sessions involving 29 speaker presentations (17 U.S.A., 12 foreign) and 2 poster displays with 30 posters each. Based on the success of our previous conference (1985, Belgium) we anticipate 125-150 participants: these will include gradulate studies and postdoctoral fellows, and senior, intermediate and junior-level scientists representing biochemists, biophysicists, physiologists and cell biologists. The specific objectives of the conference are to (1) establish a background for interpreting physiological significance of protein phosphatases by summarizing properties and functional roles of specific site phosphorylation of proteins in vitro and in vivo, (2) provide a timely an needed review of recent major advances with respect to the molecular biology of protein phosphatases and their possible regulatory roles in membrane channel and transport function, growth modulation by proto- oncogene encoded protein kinases and by growth receptor protein kinases, and in myocardial and vascular contractility, and (3) integrate, when and where possible, in vitro and in vivo data to elucidate potential functional roles of phosphatases underlying transport, contractility, and growth. One of our goals is to promote interaction between diverse scientists that share overlapping interests in phosphorylation, but seldom attend the same meetings. Accordingly, abstracts of speaker and poster proceedings will be given to participants at the beginning of the conference. The entire proceedings will be published as volumes 5 and 6 of Advances in Protein Phosphatases within 3 months after the conference.